Mexican Teenagers Have Invented a Bra That Detects Breast Cancer

They say there’s no better inspiration for the budding entrepreneur than an underserved industry, and this innovative teenager has certainly proved that point.

Inspired by the breast cancer of his mother (who lost both breasts to the disease), 18-year-old Mexican student Julián Ríos Cantú, along with three friends, José Antonio Torres, José Ángel Lavariega Gómez and Fernando López Martínez, formed Higia Technologies in 2015. Their first order of business? Tackling breast cancer.

Early detection for the disease is crucial, and if caught early, can yield a survival rate of 100 per cent. Higia’s invention, the EVA bra, attempts to mimic a breast inspection by doing the monitoring for you. The bra, which is still in prototype stage, works by detecting changes in breast temperature, size and weight, with the help of 200 biosensors inside the bra’s cup which constantly monitors information while a user is wearing it. The information is then logged to an app, where any abnormalities will be passed onto the user.

“Why a bra?” Julian explained to El Universal. “Because it allows us to have the breasts in the same position and it doesn’t have to be worn more than one hour a week.”

Taking out the top prize in this year’s Global Student Entrepreneurs Awards, Julian and his team of three won US$20,000 to help them develop their idea.